2.1: Thesis 1: Major Project - Thesis Materials

For the User Journey Map, I decided to start with my primary user: the middle school student. This is a student who is accessing the learning platform from home and interacting with teachers, peers, and the classroom. I was initially going to map out an entire school day but decided to narrow it down to one class interaction. I wanted her to have a streamlined experience that didn't leave her with surprises, stress, or worry. The platform needs to be well organized and easy to access. Thinking about it from her perspective allowed me to visualize a desktop that would have all the tools she needs at her fingertips. I also was able to walk, step by step through her experience and have a better understanding of what she might look for or expect. I actually came up with some design ideas and insights as I was writing out her steps and what I thought she might need or expect. It was eye-opening because I always seem to look at it through a teacher lens. So while I will also be designing the teacher side, I think the student perspective needs to come first, because 1st and foremost I want to design an experience that makes virtual learning more accessible and understandable for middle school learners.